Education system now

What does the education system look like now

The impact of the earthquakes on education provision in greater Christchurch was, and still is, substantial. For example:

Twenty one early childhood centres have had to close permanently and a further nine are operating from temporary premises while they await decisions on buildings.

All schools have suffered damage to varying degrees.

Four schools continue to site share, another is on a borrowed site.

Even prior to the earthquakes, many school buildings across greater Christchurch were aged and not fully weather-tight. Neither were they all well suited to modern teaching and learning practices. Most were not designed with physically disabled learners in mind.

The three Christchurch-based tertiary education institutions (TEIs) have all resumed full delivery but some of their buildings have had to be demolished.

Tertiary education institutions (TEIs) from outside greater Christchurch, but with city campuses, continue teaching in large part from temporary premises or via e-learning.

About 40 private providers have had to find temporary quarters. A small number, mostly language schools that were based in the Central Business District, have not resumed.

Enrolments in early childhood education decreased by 1,125 in the year to July 2011.

There is continued risk of lost participation from families in the east, which includes higher concentrations of Māori families and Pasifika families.

It is expected an influx of workers will put further pressure on ECE services once the rebuilding work begins in earnest.

The earthquakes have had a huge and continuing impact on the wellbeing of children, young people, school staff, families, and the wider community.

As of March 2012, 4,500 students had not returned to school in greater Christchurch.

As at June 2012, approximately 1,100 students were living in red zones, and a further 46 in white zones.

It is difficult to tell how many families have moved permanently, but it is clear many will be unable to return to the red-zoned areas they have left. Several schools caught in this flux are likely to have to downsize significantly; some may not be viable in the long term.

The lives of teaching and support staff have been equally disrupted, yet they too have made and continue to make an exceptional contribution to the welfare of the young people for whom they have a responsibility.

Domestic enrolments in tertiary education dropped 14% in 2011, international enrolments by 31%.

The major public tertiary education institutions face a combined repair cost of around $300 million.

While the greater Christchurch education network has many strengths, it has not done well in terms of equity of outcomes. This is seen most clearly in the outcomes for learners from low socio-economic families, and for Māori students and Pasifika students.